Unpredictable and uncontrollable noise is perceived as more stressful compared with continuous noise that is under a person’s control. While extensive attention has been given to demonstrating that noise levels are exceedingly high for patients in critical care settings, relatively little has been given to the potential negative effects in nurses.
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the degree and sources of noise-induced stress in relation to burnout in critical care nurses who have long-term exposure to unpredictable noise (e.g., alarms on patient bedside equipment, telephones, personnel beepers, computer printers, and beeping monitors) and uncontrollable noise.
For 100 critical care nursing personnel from two large university-affiliated hospitals on the West Coast, noise-induced occupational stress and burnout were evaluated using Jones’ Staff Burnout for Health Professionals and the emotional exhaustion subscale of Maslach’s Burnout Inventory.
The top three most disturbing noises for nurses were beeping monitors, alarms on equipment, and telephones. Nurses were bothered most by equipment noises signaling that action should be taken which may be perceived by patients as necessary for recovery. Noise-induced stress may account for close to one-half as much of the variance accounted for by the total stress linked with critical care circumstances.
The outcomes of this study are inconsistent with the outcomes of some previous studies. The self-report questionnaires may not accurately reflect the actual circumstances within the unit(s).